Funding

  Project Proposal:   
  Simulated Microscopy: Video capture and editing of laboratory material,
  for multimedia teaching of microscopy-based subjects to undergraduates

  Participants:
  UCR and UCD

  Principal Investigators:
  Paul De Ley (UCR)

The microscope is both an essential and limiting teaching tool in many biological sciences courses. Growing undergraduate enrollment and the large size of introductory classes typically precludes laboratory experience with access to microscopes. Where available, student microscopes are optically inferior to research microscopes, and paradoxically provide the poorest levels of resolution to those who arguably need it most: undergraduate students with no prior experience in observing biological microstructures. Also, slides with the clearest specimens are usually reserved for demonstration, because they are short-lived in inexperienced (student) hands. As a result, students obtain a poor first impression of practical microscopy, and many are falsely led to conclude that they lack the personal skills required for such courses, or even for a career in the relevant branches of biology.

Microscopy is also instructionally difficult for more subtle reasons. First, it requires the development of observation skills relying on continuous fine focusing through specimens, while intuitively reconstructing a three dimensional mental picture of shape and position of the observed structures. Such intuition can only be acquired through experience, and students must spend time familiarizing themselves with magnification, lighting, and stage controls before they can practice with fine focusing. Second, skill-acquisition time is restricted to microscopy labs - students can read notes outside class hours, but they cannot expand on their microscopy skills, and no online environment exists to provide an appropriately similar context. Third, during microscopy demonstrations it is often difficult for instructors to answer the questions of one individual student, observing one particular specimen through one particular microscope, in a way that allows the whole class to quickly understand the issue and observe the same structure or specimen. This problem is compounded by biology labs typically having 15 or more students per section, leaving relatively little time for detailed instructor-student interactions.

  Proposed innovation:

Video Capture and Editing (VCE) microscopy is currently being developed by PDL as a relatively simple, novel and inexpensive method for reproducing in video clips the appearance of microscope specimens at high magnification. VCE clips can be used to mimic fine focusing and to name and point out important structures where they occur; they are organized through linked image maps on web pages, can be projected during teaching and demos, and can easily be accessed outside lab hours with generic browser and media player software.

We propose to use VCE clips to develop prototypes of an online instruction website and an instruction CD-ROM aimed at undergraduates, which we will test out as remedies to the problems outlined above. We also propose to develop plans for more extensive collaboration between UC Riverside and Davis for the purpose of improving our instruction of microscopy-related subjects. We will seek both departmental support and TLtC implementation support to meet these needs.

The long-term aim is to allow our departments to jointly set up a full-scale UC VCE facility, for the production of an extensive library of CD- and WWW-based instruction materials. This facility would have no counterpart elsewhere, and would allow UC to further confirm its leadership in state-of-the-art multimedia/online teaching. The proposed model developed in nematology would also provide a basis for adaptation to teaching of invertebrate zoology, histology, plant pathology, parasitology, biomedicine and other disciplines.

  Preliminary results:

PDL and JGB have developed a first (very limited) prototype of a VCE CD-ROM1 as a handout for NEM/XRC205 "Identification of Plant Parasitic Nematodes," taught last summer at UCR. Participants were on average already experienced in microscopy, but included some beginners, and all were very enthusiastic about the CD. An expanded prototype aimed at undergraduates would need to include more basic information, a much wider range of examples, and images of live nematodes as well as preserved specimens.

  Available resources and facilities:

SAN is a specialist of animal parasitic nematodes, JGB of plant parasites, and PDL of non-parasitic nematodes. Our combined experience allows us to select and process the best material for VCE clips, from the entire diversity of the phylum Nematoda. UC Davis and UCR house two of the world's largest collections of both preserved and live nematodes, which provide an invaluable source of properly identified and sourced material. Much of this would normally be too valuable scientifically to risk its use in demonstrations, but could be safely converted and displayed as VCE clips. All three laboratories involved have the high-powered microscopes required for screening and selection of demonstration material. Both departments have computer projection equipment for integration of video files into teaching and demonstration sessions. PDL has all VCE hardware and software required for obtaining and adapting video clips. We will also involve the new image and video production facility (http://digitalstudio.ucr.edu) of UCR and the California Museum of Photography in joint planning for a Full Implementation grant application.

  Estimated effort required:

We expect to screen 1000 microscope slides, to select at least 20 specimens from at least 10 species for inclusion in the CD-ROM, and to select another 20 specimens from another 10 species for inclusion in the website. The expected work effort required for the VCE step is 40 specimens x 10 clips/specimen x 2 hrs/clip = 800 man-hours. Specimen selection, web page production and planning activities are harder to quantify but will probably approximate 400 man-hours. Each participant will assign one research assistant (or equivalent) and one student helper to contribute.

  Relevant courses:

Because of our own teaching and expertise, the proposed prototype CD and website would relate only to nematodes and nematological courses to be taught during coming winter and spring quarters. However, for full implementation we would expand application of this method to other subjects and other microscopy specimens.

  Budget

The requested funds will be used to cover expenses for two planning and prototype production meetings (one initial meeting at UC Riverside and one final meeting at UC Davis) to be attended by each participant and one Research Assistant from participant's lab. The funds will also be used to cover expenses for three undergraduate student helpers (one in each laboratory) to assist with specimen selection, file editing and web page construction.

The Riverside meeting activities will include: selection of final specimens for inclusion in the prototype CD and website, drafting of contents of both prototypes, verification of the available microscopy hardware and demonstration specimen databases at UC Riverside, meeting with other faculty teaching microscopy-based subjects at UCR and demonstrating instructional applications of VCE to them, visit to and consultation with the UCR/CPM Digital Studio facility.

The Davis meeting activities will include: final testing of the prototype CD and website, verification of the available microscopy hardware and demonstration specimen databases at UC Davis, meeting with other faculty teaching microscopy-based subjects at UCD and demonstrating instructional applications of VCE to them, finalize plans for Full Scale Implementation of the developed approaches.

Prototype production costs
Three student helpers each working 100 hrs: 3 x 100 x ($6.25 wage + $0.375 benefits) = $1988
Material & Supplies (CD-ROMs, CD cases, CD labels, draft page printouts) $150
Riverside meeting
Air travel from Sacramento to Ontario for 2: 2 x $175 = $350
Hotel lodging for 3 nights in Riverside for 2: 2 x $300 = $600
Davis meeting
Air travel from Ontario to Sacramento for 4: 4 x $175 = $700
Hotel lodging for 3 nights in Davis for 4: 4 x $300 = $1200
Total Estimated Expenses: $4988